title: Treatment of adolescent obsessive-compulsive disorder with a clomipramine-fluoxetine combination.
abstract: Clomipramine has been reported to be effective in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Children and adolescents, however, tolerate poorly the adverse effects of tricyclics. Fluoxetine and other serotonin re-uptake inhibitors also appear useful in OCD, and are safer than clomipramine. To maximize the therapeutic effects and minimize adverse effects, 6 adolescents with OCD were treated in single trials with a clomipramine-fluoxetine combination. Duration of combined drug therapy ranged from 4 weeks to more than 28 weeks. Patients were first treated with clomipramine alone; if improvement or adverse effects were unsatisfactory, they received the drug combination. Clinical global improvement with clomipramine alone was moderate in 3 patients and minimal in 3. With a combined clomipramine-fluoxetine therapy, improvements were marked in 5 patients, and moderate in 1. These improvements were obtained with relatively low daily doses: clomipramine at 25 to 50 mg, and fluoxetine at 20 to 40 mg. Adverse effects appeared greater and much less tolerable with clomipramine alone than with the clomipramine-fluoxetine combination. This drug combination was well tolerated. These preliminary data suggest that relatively low doses of a clomipramine-fluoxetine combination may potentiate therapeutic effects and minimize adverse effects in OCD patients. Larger controlled trials are suggested.
authors.affiliation: Royal Ottawa Hospital, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Simeon
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thatte
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wiggins
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002997:Clomipramine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent
chemical_list: D005473:Fluoxetine; D002997:Clomipramine